A powerful litany for those sick and suffering

This Litany for the Sick is one way to intercede for those closest to you who are severely ill or infirm.

It is often difficult to bear when someone close to us is suffering from a severe illness. Whether it is temporary or chronic, our heart breaks for our loved ones and we want to do something for them.

The Church firmly believes that one of the most powerful ways we can help a loved one in need of healing is to pray for them.

This reality is played out in Gospels when Jesus healed a paralyzed man. Jesus responded generously when he saw the faith of the people who brought the man to him: “when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven'” (Matthew 9:2).

In a similar way, we bring to Jesus the people in our lives who are suffering and sick. One way to do that is to pray this beautiful Litany for the Sick. It is taken from an Augustinian Manual from the 19th century and begs God to visit the sick person and restore them to health.

Click here to discover all of Aleteia’s prayers for a particular need.

Litany for the Sick

Lord, have mercy on [him or her],
Christ, have mercy on [him].
Lord, have mercy on [him].
O God the Father, Creator of the world, Have mercy
on [him].
O God the Son, Redeemer of mankind, Have mercy
on [him].
O God the Holy Spirit, perfecter of the elect, Have
mercy on [him],
O Sacred Trinity, one God in three persons, Have
mercy on [him].

Holy Mary, pray for [him].
All ye holy Angels and Archangels, pray for…
Holy Abel,
All ye blessed company of the just.
Holy Abraham,
St. John the Baptist,
All ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets,
St. Peter and St. Paul,
St. Andrew and St. John,
All ye holy Apostles and Evangelists,
All ye holy disciples of our Lord,
All ye holy Innocents,
St. Stephen and St. Laurence,
All ye holy Martyrs,
St. Sylvester and our holy Father St. Augustine,
St. Patrick, our glorious Apostle,
All ye holy Bishops and Confessors,
St. Benedict and St. Francis,
All ye holy Priests and Religious,
St. Mary Magdalen and St. Lucy,
All ye holy Virgins and Widows,

All ye saints of God, Make intercession for [him].
Have mercy, O Lord, and spare [him].
Have mercy, O Lord, and hear [him].

From all [his] sins, deliver [him], O Lord.
From all the temptations and snares of Satan, deliver…
From all impatience and repining at thy just chastisements,
From dejection of spirit and diffidence in thy mercy,
From the fear of death and too much desire of life,
From distracting [his] mind with the things of this world, and neglecting to prepare for eternity,
By thy cross and passion,
By thy death and burial,
By thy glorious resurrection and ascension,
By the grace of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,

In the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, Deliver [him], O Lord.
We sinners, Beseech Thee to hear us.
That it may please Thee to comfort [him] in [his] sorrow, and to enable [him] to look beyond death and the blessed state it leads to, we beseech Thee to hear us.
That it would please Thee to bring into [his] thoughts all thy mercies, and by them encourage [him] to a confidence in Thee, we beseech…
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe [him] by thy grace to order all [his] temporal affairs with prudence, justice, and charity, and with a free and quiet…wholly to dispose [himself] for heaven, we beseech…
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe [him] the grace heartily to forgive all those who have offended [him], and to satisfy according to [his] power whoever has suffered the least prejudice by [him], we beseech…
That being thus reconciled to Thee and all the world, [he] may, with a humble and assured hope, reverently receive the sacred viaticum of thy blessed Body, and firmly persevere to the end in thy grace and favour, we beseech…
That the pains of [his] sickness may expiate the punishment due to [his] sins, by diminishing [his] love of this world, and increasing [his] desire of the next, we beseech…
That whatever thy providence shall determine concerning [him], [he] may readily submit to thy holy will, and whether (he) live or die, be always thine, we beseech…
Son of God, we beseech…

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father …
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my supplication come unto Thee.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, in whose hands are the keys of life and death, and whose infinite wisdom disposes all things for the best to those who love Thee, behold, we beseech Thee, thy servant whom Thou hast cast upon the bed of sickness, and support with thy grace [his] afflicted spirit; strengthen [his] faith, increase [his] hope, and perfect [his] charity; sanctify to [him] every accident of [his] sufferings, that if thy mercy shall restore [him] to [his] health, [he] may more carefully correct the errors of [his] former life; and, if it shall please Thee to call [him] to thyself, [he] may pass through the valley of the shadow of death with safety, and be transported by thy holy angels into the mansions of bliss, where no fear shall trouble [him], no pains torment [him], nor any grief disturb the quiet of [his] mind, but perfect security, pure delight, and unspeakable joys shall for ever be established unto [him]: through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy only Son, who, with Thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.